Apparatus for surveying and range-finding.



PATENTBD NOV. 5, 1907.

D. W. MaLEAN. APPARATUSFOR'SURVEYING AND RANGE FINDING.

APPLICATION FILED OUT-8. 100l- Willow.

UNITED STATES DONALD WILLIAM MCLEAN, OF MOUNT HUTT, METHVEN, NEW ZEALAND.

APPARATUS FOR SURVEYING AND RANGE-FINDING.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

A li ti fil d October 8. 1906- Serial No, 338,021.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD WILLIAM MCLEAN, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain and lreland, residing at Mount Hutt, Methven, in the Provincial District oi Canterbury, in the Colony of New Zeal-and, have invented certain new and useful linprovements in Apparatus for Surveying and Range- F inding of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus whereby surveys can be expeditiously made and delineated upon a sheet of paper without taking measurements. The apparatus is particularly adapted for making military surveys and for range finding purposes The apparatus comprises a frame mounted upon wheels from which motion is communicated to a pencil the apparatus is moved from one point to another. A drawing board beneath the pencil records the direction taken by the pencil. By adjusting the board as required and moving the apparatus from one fixed point to another, a chart is delineated by the pencil.

The drawing illustrates the invention.-

Figure 1 is a plan of the lower side of the apparatus, Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line A-A, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective elevation of a level, Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a holder for a pencil and pointed rod, Fig. 5 s an end view of the same, Fig. 6 is an elevation of a clamping device, Fig. 7 an elevation of an end pillar and Fig. 8 an elevation of the top of a corresponding pillar.

Referring to the drawing,the frame 1 is mounted by means of stays 2 upon an axle 3 provided with road wheels 4 and 5 one or both of which is secured to the axle which is thereby rotated when the wheels rotate. The frame has two drop sticks 6 and 7 attached to the front thereof for the purpose of maintaining the apparatus in a horizontal position when stationary. The frame is covered with boards 8 and on the top of the boards is placed a drawing board 9 provided, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, with channels 10 and 10 at right angles to each other adapted to receive a head ll of a bolt 12 attached to a socket 13 fitting around an eccentric 14. integral with a spindle 15.

Bearings 16 and 17 secured to the boards 8 support the spindle 15 which is further supported by passing through the bars of the frame 1.

The rear end of the spindle is provided with a handle 18 whereby the spindle and eccentric 14 may be revolved to clamp the drawing board 9 down upon the boards 8.

The drawing board may be moved from side to side or lengthwise and revolved upon the bolt 12 in any desired direction when the said bolt is in its raised position.

Vertical pillars l9 and 20 are fitted to the rear and front end of the apparatus respectively. The rear pillar 19 has a V shaped sighting slot 21 and the front pillar 20 has a pointed sighting pin 22.

A spindle 23 having one end journaled in a rear vertical bar 24 and its other end journaled in a bracket 25 fitted upon the axle 3 is provided with a bevel wheel 26 gearing with another bevel 27 secured upon the axle 3. Parallel angle bars 28 and 29 extend from the rear to the front vertical pillars 19 and 20 to which they are secured by bolts 30 and between these two angle bars a screw spindle 31, shown clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, is journaled at its end in the vertical pillars 19 and 20. Between thetwo angle bars and below the screw spindle 31 is fitted a slide block 32 having flanges 33 and 34 resting upon the top of the angle bars. A bracket 35 slidable along the bottom of the angle bars is attached to the slide block 32 by means of studs 36 upon which are located springs 37 in compression between washers 38 and the said bracket 35. Integral with the bracket 35 are sockets 39 and 40 adapted to hold an ordinary lead pencil 41 and a pointed metal pin 42 respectively. Studs 43 and 44 passing through slots 45 and 46 respectively in sockets 39 and 40 are attached to the pencil 41 and metal pin 42 which can thus be projected from or withdrawn into the sockets as desired against the pressure of springs 47 and 48, the compression of which is adjustable b y means of screws 49 and 50.

The pencil and the pointed pin may be retained in their elevated position by raising the studs 43 and 44 and passing them into the curved-tops of the slots 45 and 46.

I prefer to make the pointed pin 42 telescopic, as shown in Fig. 4, the pin proper which maybe of hardened steel is thus fitted into a socket 51.

The socket 40 is sloped so that when its pin is projected the point thereof coincides with the position of the point of the pencil 41 when projected.

A cover plate 52 is fitted upon the top of the sliding block 32. A half nut 53 threaded to fit the screw spindle 3] is connected to the slide block 32 by bolts 54 and 55 upon which are located spiral springs 56 and 57 and nuts 58 and 59 whereby the half nut is made to engage with the screw spindle 31. A stud 60 passing through the cover plate 52 is secured to the half nut 53 and to the upper end of this stud is pivoted a cam 61 upon a pin 70 having an integral handle 62 so that when the cam is pressed upon the cover plate the half nut is caused to rise clear of the threads of the screw spindle 31. To the rear end of the spindle 31 is fitted a sprocket wheel 63 connected by a chain 64 to a sprocket wheel 65 fitted to the end of the spindle 23. Plates 66 and 67 having beveled edges 68 and 69 are fixed to the pillars 19 and 20 respectively.

When the half nut arrives at either end of the angle bars 28 and 29 the end of the pin 70 passes up the face 68 or the face 69 raising the stud 60 and the half nut 53 clear of the threads of the spindle 31 and thus avoiding accident which would arise if there was no provision for releasing the said nuts at each end of the apparatus.

A level 71 consisting of avertical plate and a foot 72 is secured to the angle bar 29 and is provided with a pendulum 73 having a slot 74 through which degrees of a circle 75 may be read for the purpose of indicating the angle of vertical inclination of the apparatus when an object is sighted by means of the slot 21 and the pointed pin 22.

The diameters of the wheels 4 and 5, the sprocket wheels 63 and 65 and the screw spindle 31 are proportioned to the scale desired for the drawing, the sprocket wheels being made interchangeable for the purpose of altering the scale. I

I prefer to use sprocket wheels and a chain, but other gearing may be substituted.

The apparatus is employed as follows:Sight flags having been fixed or natural objects selected at various points of the land to be surveyed the apparatus is placed in position at a starting point and the slide block 32 placed at the rear end of the spindle 31 and the pencil 41 allowed to contact with drawing paper secured to the drawing board 9. The slot 21 and pointed pin 22 are then brought into line with one of the flags or natural objects towards which the apparatus is to be traversed. A line is then drawn north or south by the aid of a compass upon the paper and the drawing board securely clamped to the boarding 8. The apparatus is then wheeled towards the sight flag and as the road wheels rotate their motion is communicated to the pencil by means of the bevel wheels 25, 27, the spindle 23, sprocket wheels 63 and 65, sprocket chain 64, screw spindle 31, the half nut 53, slide block 32, and bracket 35, and a line is thus drawn upon the paper to scale. On arrival at the sight flag or natural object the pencil is raised, the half nut released from the screw spindle 31, the drawing board unclamped the slot 21 and pointed pin 22 brought into line upon the next flag or natural object and the drawing board rotated upon the bolt 12 until the north and south line originally drawn lie north and south. The board is then clamped to the boarding, the pencil lowered upon the paper at the stopping point and the apparatus traversed to the next flag or natural object and so on until the survey is com pleted.

When using the apparatus for range finding, two positions are selected to form a base. The apparatus is brought to the first position and the slot 21 and pointed pin 22 brought into line with the second point. The paper is then marked by means of the pointed pin 42 and a needle inserted at such marked point. A straight edge is then placed against this needle and brought into line with the object the range of which is required. A line is then drawn on the paper along the straight edge. The apparatus is then traversed to the second position and the slot 21 and pointed pin 22 brought into line with the first point and the paper marked and the needle inserted as at the first position. The straight edge is now placed against this second needle and brought into line with the object the range of which is required. A second line is drawn along the straight edge upon the paper until it intersects the line previously drawn. The intersection gives the position of nut and the object to the scale upon which the apparatus is arranged and thus determines the range of such object.

What I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising in combination a frame, stays secured to the frame, an axle revolved in the stays, road wheels secured to the axle, a bevel wheel upon the axle, a spindle journaled at one end to the frame, a bracket mounted upon the axle and having a journal for the end of the spindle a bevel wheel upon the spindle gearing with the bevel wheel upon the axle, a sprocket wheel upon the other end of the axle, a vertical pillar at the rear end of the frame having a V shaped slot, a vertical pillar at the front of the apparatus, a pointed pin upon the top of the front vertical pillar, a screw spindle journaled in the vertical pillars, a sprocket Wheel upon the end of the screw spindle, a sprocket chain connecting the two sprocket wheels, a half nut threaded to engage, the screw spindle, means for guiding the half retaining it in engagement with the screw spindle, a pencil, means for connecting the pencilto the half nut, a drawing board boards upon the frame to support the drawing board and means for adjusting the posi tion of the drawing board substantially as set forth.

2. Apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising in combination a frame, stays secured to the frame, an axle revoluble in the stays, road wheels secured to the axle, a bevel wheel upon the axle, a spindle journaled at one end to the frame, a bracket mounted upon the axle and having a journal for the end of the spindle, a bevel wheel upon the spindle gearing with the bevel wheel upon the axle, a sprocket wheel upon the other end of the axle, a vertical pillar at the rear of the frame having a V shaped slot, a vertical pillar at the front of the apparatus, a pointed pin upon the top of the front vertical pillar a screw spindle journaled in the vertical pillars, a sprocket wheel upon the end of the screw spindle, a sprocket chain connecting the two sprocket wheels, a half nut threaded to engage the screw spindle, a sliding block having flanges, means for attaching the half nut to the sliding block, angle bars between which the sliding block fits and secured by bolts to the vertical pillars, a bracket slidable upon the lower side of the angle bars means for connecting the bracket to the sliding block, a socket integral with the bracket and a pencil fitting the socket substantially as set forth.

3. Apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising in revoluble in the stays, road wheels secured to the axle, a

bevel wheel upon the axle, a spindle journaled at one end of the frame, a bracket mounted upon the. axle and having a journal for the other end of the spindle, a bevel wheel upon the spindle gearing with the bevel wheel upon the axle a sprocket wheel upon the other end of the axle, a vertical pillar at the rear end of the frame having a V shaped slot, a vertical pillar at the front of the apparatus, a pointed pin upon the top of the front vertical pillar, a screw spindle journaled in the vertical pillars, a sprocket wheel upon the end of the screw spindle, a sprocket chain 1 connecting the two sprocket wheels, a half nut threaded to engage the screw spindle a slide block having flanges, means for attaching the half nut to the sliding block, angle bars between which the sliding block fits and secured by bolts to the vertical pillars, a bracket slidable upon the lower side of the angle bars, means for connecting the bracket to the slide block, a socket integral with the bracket, a pencil fitting the socket, a second socket integral with the bracket, a pointed pin within the second.

socket the said socket being sloped substantially as set forth.

4. Apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising in combination a frame, stays secured to the frame, an axle revoluble in the stays, road wheels secured to the axle, a bevel wheel upon the axle, a spindle journaled at one end to the frame, a bracket mounted upon the axle and having a journal for the other end of the spindle, a bevel wheel upon the spindle gearing with the bevel wheel upon the axle, a sprocket wheel upon the other end of the axle, a vertical pillar at the rear of the frame having a V shaped slot, a vertical pillar at the front of the apparatus, a pointed pin upon the top of the front vertical pillar, a screw spindle journaled in the vertical pillars, a sprocket wheel upon the end of the screw spindle, a sprocket chain connecting the two sprocket Wheels, a half nut threaded to engage the screw spindle, a slide block having flanges, angle bars between which the slide block fits and secured by bolts to the vertical pillars, a bracket slidable upon the lower side of the angle bars, bolts connecting together the half nut, the slide block and the bracket, springs located upon the bolt, nuts retaining the springs, a stud secured to the half nut, a cam pivoted to the top of the stud, a cover plate upon the sliding block through which the stud passes and upon which the cam may be brought to bear, substantially as set forth.

5. Apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising in combination a frame, stays secured to the frame, an axle revoluble in the stays, road wheels secured to the axle, a bevel wheel upon the axle, a spindle journaled at one end to the frame, a bracket mounted upon the axle and having a journal for the other end of the spindle, a bevel wheel upon the spindle gearing with the bevel wheel upon the axle, a sprocket wheel upon the other end of the axle, a vertical pillar on the rear of the frame having a V shaped slot, a vertical pillar at the front of the apparatus, a pointed pin upon the top of the front vertical pillar, a screw spindle journaled in the vertical pillars, a sprocket wheel upon the end of the screw spindle, a sprocket chain connecting the two sprocket wheels, a halt nut threaded to engage the screw spindle a slide block having flanges, angle bars between which the slide block fits and secured by bolts to the vertical pillars, a bracket slid-able upon the lower side of the angle bars, bolts connecting together the half nut, the slide block and the bracket, springs lo cated upon the bolt, nuts retaining the springs, a stud l l i 1 l i l secured to the half nut, a cam pivoted to the top of the stud, a cover plate upon the sliding block through which the stud passes and upon which the cam may be brought to bear, plates having beveled faces attached to the vertical pillars and adapted to engage an extension of the pivot pin of the cam, substantially as set forth.

6. Apparatus for the purpose indicated, comprising in combination a frame, stays secured to the frame, an axle revoluble in the stays, road wheels secured to the axle, boards secured to the top of the frame, bearings secured to the boards and supporting the spindle, a handle upon the end of the spindle, an eccentric upon the spindle, a socket fitting the eccentric, a bolt secured to the socket, a drawing board upon the top of the boarding, a channeled bar across the lower side of the drawing board and adapted to receive the head of the bolt, substantially as set forth.

7. In apparatus for the purpose indicated, a bracket 3 vertical socket integral with the bracket, a pencil fitting the socket, a stud passing through a slot in the socket and attached to the pencil, a spring in compression between the top of the socket and the pencil, a screw for regulating the tension of the spring, another socket integral with the bracket and sloping towards the first socket, a pointed metal pin fitting the socket a stud passing through a slot in this second socket and attached to the pointed pin, a-

spring in compression between the top of the socket and the pointed pin, a screw for regulating the tension of the spring, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two witnessesv DONALD WILLIAM MCLEAN.

Witnesses ALFRED HENRY Hnn'r, LEONARD Ro SMITH. 

